2024 winter is here, and nice cold temps have prevailed so far early season. Not much precipitation as of yet, but early days.
Gary is ski patrolling up at Cardrona Alpine Resort again for the season.
He has a ski tour planned with the usual suspects from Auckland in Late October, and today has had return client Matt booking in a climbing refresher week early November…..
ski touring good times . This year the same crew looking to try and ski tour the mighty west coast….. fingers crossed…
Ski touring locally off the back of Treble Cone and Cardrona is looking good as the snow is there and the storms have put the snow down. A reasonable cover of snow has been good for the ski fields and also the back country ski touring conditions. The weather forecast this coming week is for great sunniness and excellent local ski touring.
Recently on the Treble Cone back country – new storm snow brewing…
Recent ski touring off the back of Treble Cone ski field
Switzerland has amazing rock walls and superb multipitch climbs on them.
Iris and Gaz climbed at Sanetsch ( 2240m alt) yesterday – a beautiful cloudless, sunny alpine climbing day in Switzerland.
Back in NZ – Iris got an alert on her phone here in Switzerland – chains required on the Crown range , Wanaka, NZ. Yep, the winter snows have well and truly arrived in New Zealand setting the winter snow pack up beautifully for ski touring in September/October.
Enjoy you alpine passions….
Iris leading 5b beautiful limestone pitch heading for the skyline pitches 🙂
It’s storming outside, and snowing in the backcountry. Another log goes on the fire in our base here in Wanaka, NZ. Yes we are about to head over to Switzerland for 3 Months( for the Swiss summer), and then return for what looks like a great ski touring season shaping up.
Ski touring in September and October might be something you are thinking about. At that time of the winter, there will be maximum snow, more stable snow pack and warmer temperatures up high at 2400m where we stay in the NZ mountain huts and go touring. The most fantastic time to go touring in the big mountains and glaciers in the backcountry.
It’s not too early to think about and get in touch.
Glaciated Beauty and fun times
Ski touring on Fox glacier
Ski touring accommodation in NZ
Novemeber 2017 – a momentous occassion having the ‘crew’ back doing a fabulous ski touring trip based at the recently spruced up Tasman Saddle hut, Head of the Tasman Glacier, NZ. John C, Phil, Bill and ( new to the ‘crew’) John K had four days of excellent spring ski touring, hut banter and general sunny alpine / backcountry skiing goodtimes. Great to having it happen again for the base crew after a break of several years. 🙂
Spectacular safe ice formations for ski touring amongst.
Ski touring in New Zealand, skiing amoungst the ice towers on the Tasman Glacier.
Back country ski touring amoungst very “cool” terrain
As snow lovers in New Zealand had started the best winter in a long time, we enjoyed an amazing run of summer weather in Europe and particularly lots of good climbing in Switzerland. Interested? again in July/August 2016 and don’t hesitate to ask!
Presently, ski touring is still on in the Southern Alps and masses of snow are left for some good ski touring fun out there, as long as those crazy Spring winds would settle somewhat! soon!
Gary can be booked again as a mountain guide this coming NZ summer. Top quality mountaineering instruction courses right here in NZ, Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. From now on, he will offer his guiding service under the concession and sms of Alpine Guides in Mt Cook-Aoraki. Our guided trekking excursions are now part of the past, but we can give you tips and advice anytime for free.
The Alpinism studio-cottage is available again for your independent holidays here in Wanaka, be it action packed or relaxing or mixed.
Enjoy whatever you do and stay safe.
Ski touring near Centennial hut
With all the fresh snow fallen a week ago, winter activities will be on many minds, here just a small selection of photos from past trips in the Southern Alps. While some keen snow lovers are already out there ski touring somewhere in the mountains of New Zealand, remember that back country skiing amoungst glaciated terrain can still be very dangerous and the amount of snow fallen has by no means filled up the crevasses nor made the bergschrunds safe just yet. Enjoy but make sure you have the skills out there. Courses are offered by top mountain guide instructor Gary Dickson, IFMGA expert in NZ. His next job is instructing/assessing in Iceland again, helping the professional glacier guides with quality standards in the industry. But before we leave, the annual general meeting of NZMGA is on the agenda where he’ll act as Mr President.
The first ski tour has been put on the schedule and if you – or anybody you know – are keen on an NZ back country ski tour late winter/spring with chief guide Gaz, at this stage you have the choice from 23rd September on wards. We can be reached any time via email, just beware that occasionally we might be out of touch longer than usual, sitting in plane, or otherwise relocating in the Swiss Alps without the online setup.
loo with a view, ski touring in NZ
Southern Alps back country ski touring
Ski touring , Tasman glacier, New Zealand
Back in the land of the long white cloud and we had fun on the snow for the last few weeks!
Mountain guide Gary’s last mountaineering instruction course in the Swiss Alps for this year ended the month of August. Then home bound and skis out it was, back to our base in beautiful Wanaka.
A few photos from our alpinism adventures with Wanaka locals Phil & Barb, starting in Kandersteg, Switzerland:
Interested in 6-7 days of Ski Touring adventures in the Southern Alps of NZ:
Dates : 23 – 30 October 2014 – get in touch now
Cost details: http://www.alpinismski.co.nz/ski-touring.html
News from home is good, lots of snow is falling and snow sports are happening back in Wanaka while we are still into summer mountaineering in Europe.
Ski touring in New Zealand is not far away for us and don’t hesitate to get in touch for your very own adventure:
Day trips from Wanaka or week long in the Southern Alps
Glorious moments while ski touring
Mid way through August and just a couple of weeks left for climbing in Europe before the Alpinism & Ski team is heading back to New Zealand for ski touring adventures in the Southern Alps. We have heard that not too much of the white gold has been accumulating over the last few weeks but don’t despair. It is very common – at least during the last few years – that snow is arriving with our return. Keep up the fitness sessions to get out and play in the glorious Wilderness of New Zealand’s South Island. We do have mountain guides available for end of September as well as all Continue reading